Means for controlling the admission of water to tanks



March 9 1926. 1,575,851

W.-H. LONG MEANS FOR CONTROLLINGTHE ADMISSION OF WATER T0 TANKS Filed Feb. 12, 1921 WITNESS INVENTOR 22 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 9, 1926.

unrrse stares Parser osrics.

WILLIAM H. LONG, 03E BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE ADMISSION OE WATER TO TANKS.

Application filed February 12, 1921. Serial No. 444,393.

ful lolleans for Controlling, the Admission of:

inter to Tanks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to valves and associated mechanism for controlling the admission of water to tanks particularly to the flush tanks and the like associated with toilet fixtures.

An object of the invention is to provide means of the character described in which is included a valve that is adapted through the agency of the water supply pressure, to be heldin position to stop the admission of the water to the flush tank. 1

Another object of the invention is to provide means of the type described in which the water supply pressure is utilized to retain the inlet valve both open and closed.

A further object of the invention is to effect the opening of the inlet valve by the use of a hydraulic cylinder and associated mechanism.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of my invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the showing made by the said drawing and description,

as I may adopt variations of the preferred form within the scope of my invention as set forth in the claims.

The drawing is a vertical section view of the apparatus arranged in a flush tank.

Briefly expressed the apparatus as here shown comprises a main valve which is arranged in the water inlet passage of the flush tank and is adapted through the agency of the pressure of the fluid at the intake side of the valve to be held in shut position. The inlet valve is adapted to be moved to open position by a piston which is connected thereto and operates in a hydraulic cylinder, the latter being in communication with the inlet passage by means of "a narrow branch passage. The flow of water to the cylinder is controlled by a second valve which is preferably likewise held in shut position by the water supply pressure in the inlet passage. VVhenthe water is discharged. from the flush tank a floatmember holds the second valve in open p0- sitionfso that the piston in the cylinder may be moved to, unseat the inlet valve and thereby allow the water to fill the tank. Upon the tank being filled, the float member vre-.

leases the second valve andallows it to close, thereby permitting the piston to assume its normal position and enabling the inlet valve to shut.

A detailed description follows:

The apparatus in its present embodiment is shown in connection with a flush tank '2 withinwhich it is preferably arranged. As here illustrated the apparatus is supported upon the end 3 of the water inlet pipe 4: which for convenience is formed integral with housing 6 of the apparatus. The housing is formed with a partition 7 having an.

opening 8, which is adapted to-be closed by a valve 9 to stop the admission of-the water through the perforated dome 12 to the interior of the tank. The valve is slid'ably mounted in a suitable bearing 13 which is formed integral with the housing. The face of'the valve is disposed at that side of the partition 7 which is exposed to the pressure of the water in the inlet pipe, and the amount of surface of the valve also 6X- posed to the said pressure is, sufficient to normally hold the valve against its seat. In this mannerthe valve will be maintained in shut position with the full force or pressure of the water at which it is supplied, thereby enabling the inlet passage to be effectively closed by means functioning in dependently of the conditions prevailing within the-tank. 7

Means are provided for causing the valve to be opened when the water is discharged from the flush tank. Preferably fixed to the housing 6 is a fluid container or hydraiu valve .is 'moved, through the agency of the link and lever, to uncover the opening and permit the water from the inlet pipe to pass into the tank. Connecting the cylinder with the inlet passage is a narrow branch passage 21 through which the water from the inlet passage may pass into the cylinder at the desired time in order to raise the piston and thereby unseat the valve. The flow of the water through the passage 21 is controlled by a valve 22 which is preferably telescopically mounted in the bore 23 of the inlet valve 9. The engagement of the two valves with respect to each other is rather loose so that the water in the inlet pipe may more or less freely enter the bore and there by cause the cylinder valve 22 to be retained against its seat 24 by the water supply pressure in a manner similar to inlet valve. A coil spring 26 which tends to hold the valves in proper extended relation is preferably arranged in the bore 23.

F ulcrumed to the housing 6 is a lever 27, one arm 28 of which is provided with a float 29, and the other arm 31 is adapted to engage the exposed end 32 of the cylinder valve 22. When the tank is filled and the float is in its upper position,the arm 81 is held disengaged from the valve 22, but when the float is depressed the arm 31 will move the valve from its seat and thereby allow the Water to enter the cylinder, raise the piston, and thus open the valve 9. The Water will continue to enter the cylinder until the piston reaches its uppermost position, at which time all of the water flowing through the passage 21 will begin discharging into the tank through a relief port 33. As soon as the tank becomes filled and the float is raised to its upper position, the arm 31 releases the end 32 of the cylinder valve so that the valve 22 may resume its shut position. With the admission of water to the cylinder stopped, the weight of the p1ston will gradually force the water from the cylinder out through the relief port, thereby enabling the piston to resume its lower position and permitting the inlet valve to once again close the inlet passage.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a tank having a fluid inlet passage, a valve in said passage adapted to be held in position to stop the flow to said tank by the pressure of the fluid at the intake side of the valve, and means including a fluid container and a piston reciprocatively mounted therein, for displacing said valve.

2. In a device of the character described, a tank having a fluid lnlet passage, a valve 111 said passage adapted to be held 1n position to stop the flow to said tank by the pressure of the fluid at the intake side of the valve, a fluid container, a piston reciprocatively mounted in said container, connections between said piston and valve for operating the valve, a second passage communicating with said cylinder and first passage, a second valve in said second passage and means operative upon the discharge of the fluid from said tank for displacing said second valve whereby said piston may be operated and said first valve may be displaced.

3. In a device of the character described, a tank having a fluid inlet passage, a valve in said passage adapted to be held in position to stop the flow through said passage by means of the pressure of the fluid at the intake side of the valve, and means for displacing said valve including a fluid container arranged to be in communication with said inlet passage, a piston in said container, a valve for controlling the flow of the fluid to said container adapted to be held in shut position by the pressure of the fluid in said passage and means for opening the last named valve.

4-. In a device of the character described, a tank having a fluid inlet passage, a valve in said passage adapted to be held in shut position by the pressure of the fluid on the intake side of the valve, a fluid container in. said tank and arranged to communicate with said inlet passage, a piston in said container, connections between said valve and piston for operating the valve, a valve for controlling the flow of the fluid to said container adapted to be held in shut position by the pressure of the fluid in said passage and arranged to be displaced upon the withdrawal of the fluid from said tank whereby said piston may be operated and said first mentioned valve may be displaced.

5. In a device of the character described, a tank having a fluid inlet passage, a valve in said passage adapted to be normally held in shut position, a fluid container arranged to communicate with said inlet by a branch passage of less cross sectional area than that of the container, a piston reciprocatively mounted in said container, connecting mem bers between said piston and said valve whereby the latter may be displaced upon the reciprocation of the piston, a valve for controlling the flow of the fluid to said container arranged to be normally held in shut position, and a float member in said tank adapted to displace the second valve upon the discharge of the fluid from the tank whereby said piston will be reciprocated.

6. In a device of the character described, a tank having a fluid inlet passage, a valve in said passage adapted to be held in shut position by the pressure of the fluid at the intake side of the valve, a fluid container adapted to communicate with said passage by a branch thereof, a valve telescopically supported in said first mentioned valve and adapted to control the flow of the fluid to said container, said last mentioned valve being likewise arranged to be held in shut position by the pressure of the fluid at the intake side of said valve, a piston reciprocatively mounted in said container, connecting members between said piston and first valve whereby the latter may be displaced upon the reciprocation of the piston, and a float member adapted to displace said second valve upon the discharge of the fluid from said tank whereby said piston may be actuated. I

7. A device in accordance with claim 6 characterized by a relief port for said container arranged intermediate said piston and said second valve.

8. In a device of the character described, a tank having a fluid inlet passage, a valve in said passage adapted to be held in position to stop the flow to said tank by the pressure of the fluid at the intake side out the valve, a fluid container and a piston reciprocatively mounted therein, means adapted to permit communication between the intake side of the valve and said container to cause the movement of said piston in one direction by fluid pressure, and mechanism connecting said piston and valve for transmitting motion-from the former to the latter.

9. In a device of the character described, a tank having a fluid inlet passage, a valve in said passage adapted to be held in p0sition to stop the flow to said tank by the pressure of the fluid at the intake side of the valve, a fluid container and a piston reciprocatively mounted therein,means adapted to permit communication between the intake side of the valve and said container to cause the movement of said piston in one direction by fluid pressure, and means including a lever for connecting said piston to the valve to transmit the movement of the piston to the valve.

10. In a device of the character described, a tank having a fluid inlet passage, a valve in said passage adapted to be held in position to stop the flow to said'tank by the pres sure of the fluid at the intake side of the valve, a fluid container and a piston reciprocatively mounted therein, meansadaptedto permit communication between the intake side of the valve and said container to cause the movement of said piston in one direction by fluid pressure, and connecting means for said piston and valve for transmitting motion from the former to the latter causing a relative movement of one with respect to the other. v

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Gakland, California, this 3rd day of February, 1921;

IVILLIAM, I'I. LONG. 

